Population and biodiversity insights
Homo sapiens became the first species to stop living inside local ecosystems. All other species, including our ancestral hominid ancestors, all pre-agricultural humans, and remnant hunter-gatherer societies still extant exist as semi-isolated populations playing specific roles (i.e., have “niches”) in local ecosystems. This is not so with post-agricultural revolution humans, who in effect have stepped outside local ecosystems. Indeed, to develop agriculture is essentially to declare war on ecosystems. -- Niles Eldredge
The materials on the "core ecological issues" page point to why it is critical we preserve biodiversity and protect the health of ecosystems. The web of life is Earth's life support system for all species including our own. Yet we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. This one is human-caused. To mitigate its impact we must pursue direct protection of wildlife and habitat while we do what we can to address the size and growth of the human population. (See the closely related "problem of agriculture" on the "core ecological issues" page.) These links should be of help in understanding some biodiversity and population issues.
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The Sixth Extinction
The current "Sixth Mass Extinction" is now widely acknowledged by the scientific community. Failure to stop this catastrophe will be devstating. Experts point to its obvious link to human population growth - a link rarely mentioned in the media.-
From a press release from the American Museum of Natural History
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Jeffrey McKee, professor of anthropology, Ohio State University, on the link between the size and growth of the human population and the Sixth Extinction. See his book on the "recommended books" page.
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Excellent film from the Species Alliance.
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The CBD recently stepped forward as the ONLY sizable environmental organization in the US taking a serious stand for the truth concerning overpopulation. Their focus, of course, is on the link to habitat and species loss.
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Solid, clear, and uncompromising information from Dave Foreman. Don't overlook the links as you scroll down.
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From paleontologist Niles Eldredge. "Millions of plants and animals won't make it to the next millennium. Here's a glimpse of some species the future will never see."
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A worthwhile note to those who doubt the Sixth Extinction, from CJA Bradshaw, professor in The Environment Institute and School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide.
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Incisive editorial by University of Rhode Island ecologist Fred Meyerson. Original published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: http://www.frontiersinecology.org/
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Ehrlich speaks clearly on the problem in this interview from Science Friday on the US's National Public Radio. Note his well justified criticism of scientists, heads burried in the minutia of their research, avoiding speaking out on the issue.
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This film in progress is a grassroots initiative seeking donations. It promises to be a key documentary on the extinction crisis. "Through a series of interlocking stories, this documentary will examine this crisis, and point to solutions."
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Helpful overview of the issue from Niles Eldredge. He stumbles on human carrying capacity, and is uncritical of the contentious "pleistocene overkill" hypothesis, but makes clear the problem of agriculture in greatly accelerating extinction rates.
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It's not only the lost of species that matters, but the drop in numbers within species. This lowers genetic diversity and has other serious effects. This BBC article offers some sobering statistics.
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More sobering data, these from Guardian science correspondent Ian Sample.
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BBC report on an IPSO panel's findings on state of the oceans.
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Population ecology
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Russ Hopfenberg's site. Information on the shamefully ignored fact that human population growth is, at base, the direct result of increases in the global food supply. Adds well to the discussions in Daniel Quinn's books (see book section).
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Important discussion clearing up common misconceptions concerning the population/food supply link. Contains key insights which, if understood, may help silence the common knee-jerk assertion that Quinn, Thornhill, and others are wrong on the issue.
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The population taboo
How population became a taboo topic and the impact that has had.-
Project I created, now coordinated by the Population Institute, specifically to help weaken the taboo against public discussin of overpopulation by bringing new voices to bear on the issue. Endorsed by a distinguished group.
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Major report from the UK, with input from scores of experts, concludes the loss of attention to population has been a major setback. Includes good, readable discussion of how attention turned away from population following the 1994 Cairo Conference.
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Detailed examination with a focus on the US, but with observations applicable worldwide.
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Population solutions
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Girls' education is key. This is an informative document from the Population Reference Bureau
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The is the method used by the Population Media Center. It can influence such things as desired fetility and use of family planning services. It's results have been tested and documented in multiple studies.
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Lestor Brown describes the dramatic successes of Thailand and Iran in reducing fertility rates by implementing simple, low cost programs.
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Illuminating talk from Martha M. Campbell of the School of Public Health, U.C. Berkeley. Covers not only reasons for the silence but key findings on what works in addressing population. Emphasis here on access to family planning.
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Debunking population myths
Efforts to dismiss the importance of population have evolved into a myth-filled lore. A little logic undoes it.-
A pair of essays I wrote for my prior site. (See my Guardian piece, "Return of the population timebomb," for an even more concise presentation.)
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Bill Ryerson of the Population Media Center on an array of myths. Interesting section on proposed solutions highlights the need for PMC's approach.
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Other population links
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By J. Kenneth Smail, professor emeritus of anthropology, Kenyon College. This article focuses on the scale of population decline we may now need and the time urgency involved, having neglected the issue for so long.
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Video of Al Bartlett's famous talk.
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Overpopulation is the world’s top environmental issue… according to a survey of the faculty at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
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A post in which I gathered together the official statements on population, recent and past, from an assortment of scientific groups (and a group of world leaders).
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By Tiroir A Films Productions, this film seeks humane solutions by starting from the premise that "overpopulation is merely a symptom of an even larger problem - a 'domination system'" that has pervaded human history.
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Solid and original overview site from Kurt Dahl, the author of The Eden Proposition (see book links). Unique "top ten" lists.
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